Patents by Inventor Floyd Jones
Floyd Jones has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Apparatus, method and article to facilitate motion planning in an environment having dynamic objects
Patent number: 12204336Abstract: A motion planner of a computer system of a primary agent, e.g., an autonomous vehicle, uses reconfigurable collision detection architecture hardware to perform a collision assessment on a planning graph for the primary agent prior to execution of a motion plan. For edges on the planning graph, which represent transitions in states of the primary agent, the system sets a probability of collision with another agent, e.g., a dynamic object, in the environment based at least in part on the collision assessment. Depending on whether the goal of the primary agent is to avoid or collide with a particular dynamic object in the environment, the system then performs an optimization to identify a path in the resulting planning graph with either a relatively low or relatively high potential of a collision with the particular dynamic object. The system then causes the actuator system of the primary agent to implement a motion plan with the applicable identified path based at least in part on the optimization.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2019Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignees: DUKE UNIVERSITY, BROWN UNIVERSITYInventors: Daniel Sorin, William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, George Konidaris, William Walker -
Patent number: 12090668Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2023Date of Patent: September 17, 2024Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones
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Patent number: 12083682Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change. Various aspects of such robot motion planning are implemented in particular systems and methods that facilitate motion planning of the robot for various environments and tasks.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2023Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones, Peter Howard, Xianchao Long
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Patent number: 12017364Abstract: A processor-based system provides a user interface to facilitate generation of motion planning graphs or roadmaps, for example via autonomous generate of additional poses, for example neighboring poses, based on specified seed or origin pose, and/or generate or sub-lattice connecting poses and/or edges to couple separate regions or sub-lattices of the motion planning graph together. Such may include performing collision-checking and/or kinematic checking (e.g., taking into account kinematic constraints of robots being modeled). The resulting motion planning graphs or roadmaps are useful in controlling robots during runtime. Robots may include robots with appendages and/or robots in the form of autonomous vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, Matthew Ryan, Arne Sieverling
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Patent number: 11970161Abstract: A motion planner of an autonomous vehicle's computer system uses reconfigurable collision detection architecture hardware to perform a collision assessment on a planning graph for the vehicle prior to execution of a motion plan. For edges on the planning graph, which represent transitions in states of the vehicle, the system sets a probability of collision with a dynamic object in the environment based at least in part on the collision assessment. Depending on whether the goal of the vehicle is to avoid or collide with a particular dynamic object in the environment, the system then performs an optimization to identify a path in the resulting planning graph with either a relatively high or relatively low potential of a collision with the particular dynamic object. The system then causes the actuator system of the vehicle to implement a motion plan with the applicable identified path based at least in part on the optimization.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2022Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignees: DUKE UNIVERSITY, BROWN UNIVERSITYInventors: Daniel Sorin, William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, George Konidaris, William Walker
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Patent number: 11964393Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change. Various aspects of such robot motion planning are implemented in particular systems and methods that facilitate motion planning of the robot for various environments and tasks.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2023Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones, Peter Howard, Xianchao Long
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Publication number: 20240009845Abstract: Systems, methods and user interfaces employ clearance or margin determinations in motion planning and motion control for robots in operational environments, the clearance or margin determinations representing an amount of clearance or margin between at least one portion of a robot and one or more objects in the operational environment. Clearances may be displayed in a presentation of motion, for instance displayed in a presentation of a roadmap or a number of paths in a representation of a three-dimensional environment in which the robot operates. Roadmaps may be adjusted based at least in part of determined clearances, for instance based on user input or autonomously.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2021Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, Ty Tremblay
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Publication number: 20230356400Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2023Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones
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Publication number: 20230347519Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change. Various aspects of such robot motion planning are implemented in particular systems and methods that facilitate motion planning of the robot for various environments and tasks.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones, Peter Howard, Xianchao Long
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Publication number: 20230347520Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change. Various aspects of such robot motion planning are implemented in particular systems and methods that facilitate motion planning of the robot for various environments and tasks.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones, Peter Howard, Xianchao Long
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Patent number: 11745346Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2021Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones
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Patent number: 11738457Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change. Various aspects of such robot motion planning are implemented in particular systems and methods that facilitate motion planning of the robot for various environments and tasks.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones, Peter Howard, Xianchao Long
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Patent number: 11634126Abstract: A motion planner performs motion planning with collision assessment, using a motion planning lattice that represents configuration states of a primary agent (e.g., autonomous vehicle) as nodes and transitions between states as edges. The system may assign cost values to edges, the cost values representing probability or likelihood of collision for the corresponding transition. The cost values may additionally or alternatively represent a severity of collision, for example generated via a parametric function with two or more parameters and one or more weights. A primary agent and/or dynamic obstacles may be represented as respective oriented bounding boxes. Some obstacles (e.g., road markings, edge of road) may be represented as curves.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: William Floyd-Jones, Bryce Willey, George Konidaris, Xianchao Long
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Patent number: 11429105Abstract: A system for motion planning for autonomous vehicles can include a plurality of sensors, a plurality of detectors in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors, and a motion planning module in electrical communication with the plurality of detectors and a computing system of an autonomous vehicle. The motion planning module stores a planning graph with each node representing, explicitly or implicitly, time and variables defining a state of the autonomous vehicle, an operating environment, or both the state of the autonomous vehicle and the operating environment. A reconfigurable processor can include a collision detection module and, optionally, a shortest path module. Pre-computed collision data and planning graph data reflecting logical/physical node mapping can be communicated to the processor during a programming phase and used during runtime.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2017Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignees: DUKE UNIVERSITY, BROWN UNIVERSITYInventors: Daniel J. Sorin, George D. Konidaris, William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray
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Publication number: 20220193911Abstract: A processor-based system provides a user interface to facilitate generation of motion planning graphs or roadmaps, for example via autonomous generate of additional poses, for example neighboring poses, based on specified seed or origin pose, and/or generate or sub-lattice connecting poses and/or edges to couple separate regions or sub-lattices of the motion planning graph together. Such may include performing collision-checking and/or kinematic checking (e.g., taking into account kinematic constraints of robots being modeled). The resulting motion planning graphs or roadmaps are useful in controlling robots during runtime. Robots may include robots with appendages and/or robots in the form of autonomous vehicles.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2020Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, Matthew Ryan, Arne Sieverling
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Patent number: 11340616Abstract: A system for motion planning for autonomous vehicles can include a plurality of sensors, a plurality of detectors in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors, and a motion planning module in electrical communication with the plurality of detectors and a computing system of an autonomous vehicle. The motion planning module stores a planning graph with each node representing, explicitly or implicitly, time and variables defining a state of the autonomous vehicle, an operating environment, or both the state of the autonomous vehicle and the operating environment. A reconfigurable processor can include a collision detection module and, optionally, a shortest path module. Pre-computed collision data and planning graph data reflecting logical/physical node mapping can be communicated to the processor during a programming phase and used during runtime.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2017Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignees: DUKE UNIVERSITY, BROWN UNIVERSITYInventors: Daniel J. Sorin, George D. Konidaris, William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray
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Patent number: 11292456Abstract: A motion planner of an autonomous vehicle's computer system uses reconfigurable collision detection architecture hardware to perform a collision assessment on a planning graph for the vehicle prior to execution of a motion plan. For edges on the planning graph, which represent transitions in states of the vehicle, the system sets a probability of collision with a dynamic object in the environment based at least in part on the collision assessment. Depending on whether the goal of the vehicle is to avoid or collide with a particular dynamic object in the environment, the system then performs an optimization to identify a path in the resulting planning graph with either a relatively high or relatively low potential of a collision with the particular dynamic object. The system then causes the actuator system of the vehicle to implement a motion plan with the applicable identified path based at least in part on the optimization.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignees: DUKE UNIVERSITY, BROWN UNIVERSITYInventors: Daniel Sorin, William Floyd-Jones, Sean Murray, George Konidaris, William Walker
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Publication number: 20220080594Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones
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Patent number: 11235465Abstract: A robot control system determines which of a number of discretizations to use to generate discretized representations of robot swept volumes and to generate discretized representations of the environment in which the robot will operate. Obstacle voxels (or boxes) representing the environment and obstacles therein are streamed into the processor and stored in on-chip environment memory. At runtime, the robot control system may dynamically switch between multiple motion planning graphs stored in off-chip or on-chip memory. The dynamically switching between multiple motion planning graphs at runtime enables the robot to perform motion planning at a relatively low cost as characteristics of the robot itself change.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: REALTIME ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Daniel Sorin, George Konidaris, Sean Murray, William Floyd-Jones
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Publication number: 20210178591Abstract: Collision detection useful in motion planning for robotics advantageously employs data structure representations of robots, persistent obstacles and transient obstacles in an environment in which a robot will operate. Data structures may take the form of hierarchical data structures ((e.g., octrees, sets of volumes or boxes (e.g. a tree of axis-aligned bounding boxes (AABBs), a tree of oriented (not axis-aligned) bounding boxes, or a tree of spheres)) or non-hierarchical data structures (e.g., Euclidean Distance Fields) Such can result in computational efficiency, reduce memory requirements, and lower power consumption. The collision detection can take the form as a standalone function, providing a Boolean result that can be employed in executing any of a variety of different motion planning algorithms.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: William Thomas Floyd-Jones, Sean Michael Murray, George Dimitri Konidaris, Daniel Jeremy Sorin